Safely enjoy the outdoors with us on a naturalist-guided paddle of the Great Swamp in Patterson, New York. The Great Swamp is a regionally significant wetland that is home to a wide diversity of plant and animal life, including threatened and endangered species. During our paddle, we are likely to see herons, kingfishers, colorful songbirds, painted turtles, a variety of dragonflies and perhaps a beaver, among other wildlife.

The paddle will be fairly easy and last approximately 2 hours round-trip. Please bring your own canoe or kayak if you have one and only share a boat with members of your household. A limited number of canoes can be provided upon request.

Attendees should have previous paddling experience and be comfortable operating their boats without any instruction or assistance. PFDs (life vests) are encouraged and you should bring your own if you have one. Please email John Foley at to register or request additional information. Please note in your email how many people will be in your party and whether you will or will not need to borrow a canoe/kayak. Space is very limited. Open to people ages 13 and up. A suggested donation of $20/person for non-members and $15 per person for members is greatly appreciated.

We will meet at the Patterson Environmental Park at 10 am. Directions: Take Route 311 into downtown Patterson and turn south onto Front Street near the Metro-North railroad crossing. Head south a few blocks to the access road just past the Patterson Recreation Center. Turn left onto Marble Rd. at the railroad crossing (Caution – Be careful, there are no traffic control devices) and follow the dirt road to the end.